Thousands of animals and plants around the world face extinction with species disappearing at a rate up to 1,000 times higher than normal. To help address this, the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank Group and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are launching the Save Our Species (SOS) program with the goal of building a major global species conservation fund by 2015. It is based on strong private sector participation and will support conservation action on the ground, focusing on specific threatened species and their habitats. The SOS program will demonstrate that species conservation can and does work.

When:
Thursday, October 28 2010, 2.30 "“ 3.30pm

Where:
UN CBD COP 10, Nagoya, Japan
Press Conference Center, Room 3, 3rd floor

Speakers:

• Robert B. Zoellick, President, World Bank Group


• Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility


• Julia Marton-Lefevre, Director General, IUCN


• Kirsi Sormunen, Vice President Sustainability, NOKIA

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

In Nagoya, Japan:

• Christian Hofer, GEF Senior Communications Officer, chofer@thegef.org
  +1 202 413 4185


• Nicki Chadwick, IUCN Media Relations Officer, nicki.chadwick@iucn.org
  t +41 22 999 0229
  m +41 79 528 3486


• Roger Morier, rmorier@worldbank.org

In Gland, Switzerland

• Elke Blodau, SOS Marketing and Communications Officer, elke.blodau@iucn.org
  t +41 22 999 0372

In Washington DC, USA

• Maureen Lorenzetti, GEF Spokesperson, mlorenzetti@thegef.org

  t: +1 202 473 8131

For more information on SOS go to www.SOSpecies.org

About the Global Environment Facility

The GEF unites 182 countries in partnership with international institutions, NGOs and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Today the GEF is the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment. An independent financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. Since 1991 the GEF has invested $9 billion in grants, leveraged another $40 billion in cofinancing for more than 2600 projects in 165 countries.

www.thegef.org

About the World Bank

The World Bank's mission is to help developing countries and their people to alleviate poverty. The World Bank also addresses global challenges in ways that advance an inclusive and sustainable globalization - that overcomes poverty, enhances growth with care for the environment, and creates individual opportunity and hope. To date, the World Bank is the largest international funding source for biodiversity in developing countries.

www.worldbank.org

About IUCN

IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.

IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,000 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN's work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world.

www.iucn.org

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